Great Women

A CD/digital Single.

‘Great Women’ was commissioned by the Great Music in Irish Houses Festival to mark its 50th anniversary in 2020 with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland / An Comhairle Ealaíon, which also gave financial support. The release of the recording in June 2121 coincides with the Great Music in Irish Houses Festival 2021.

The piece is a celebration of the strong, remarkable Irish women who have helped shape the social and political landscape through their striving for equality and liberation. Among those whose words are set are pioneering patriots such as Constance (aka ‘Countess’) Markievicz and Rosie Hackett, alongside such equally inspiring contemporary figures as Ireland’s former Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, extracts from whose inaugural speeches are embedded in the textures of the live and tape parts.

The tape part includes readings from Markievicz’ letters and excerpts from Rosie Hackett’s account of events leading up to the 1916 Rising. The readings were recorded by renowned soprano, Elizabeth Hilliard, for whom this work was written and to whom it is gratefully dedicated.

Almost all sounds on the tape derive from those recordings while the live part uses many extended vocal techniques such as overtone singing, fragmentation of text, vocalise, etc.

All in all a superb example of live and taped material and a work of importance in musical, historical and socio-political fields.